1. Technical Field
Embodiments of the present invention are related to the field of electronic devices, and in particular, to electromagnetic relays.
2. Description of Related Art
An electromagnetic relay may include a relay switch and a relay coil for opening and closing the relay switch when a relay actuating current flows through the relay coil. In some designs, a low voltage or current through the relay coil (low voltage side) may be used to switch the relay switch, which in turn switches a much higher voltage or current (high-voltage side), with the transition between the low voltage side and the high-voltage side being referred to as a high-voltage barrier or interface. A breakdown voltage of the relay may at times be determined by the voltage from the high-voltage side of the relay switch to the relay coil, rather than the voltage from the high side of the relay switch to the low side of the relay switch.
In other designs, the relay coil may be placed on the high-voltage side of a high-voltage barrier. In such a case, the relay may operate to higher voltage if the relay coil is allowed to float so that the relay actuating signal to the relay coil is not referred to earth ground.